Tuesday, June 23, 2009

It's not clear when this video was shot, but it gives a good sense of what the police and military presence is like on the streets in Tehran. There are no clashes with protesters captured in this footage; in fact, things look quite calm and controlled.

Good point. I think the difference comes down to the rule of law. The Israeli regime is ruled by law, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ruled by Islam.

For example, in Israel all citizens may vote and be members of the Knesset. In Iran, the constitution forbids non-Muslims form holding many important positions. Of course it must be conceded that as a matter of practicality non-Jews hold very little power in Israeli. However, it was not so long ago that it was considered practically impossible for a black man to become president of the USA.

Finally I think this distinction justifies greater sympathy for the Iranian protesters. Israel and Hamas don't like each other, so it's natural that they should fight. Iranians are all Iranian, so it's un-natural that they would fight over such a comically rigged election. 2 hours to count 40 million votes, Ahmedinejad beats Karoubi in his home province (which Karoubi won in 2004), and Khamenie idiotic statement that the large margin evidence a fair vote (just like the landslide for Kim Jong Il and Mugabe).

You have an interesting point but you have to keep in mind the Gaza-Israeli conflict can be and has been covered by international reporters. Whereas this conflict/revolution is not allowing those reporters to their job and hence Citizen Tube has become the medium of information.

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